Mind Game
by friendoftheearth
Summary: A follow on from Pride/Spectre
1. Chapter 1

My thanks to Sylvain for the beta work

A follow on from Pride/Spectre

Mind Game

Part 1

Jackson was beginning to think he'd have been a lot quicker if he'd gone in to Hotton to do his bit of shopping. He'd told Aaron he would only be ten minutes, he certainly hadn't wanted to be any longer than that, he wasn't happy about leaving him as it was. But he'd already been gone a good half hour and he still wasn't any closer to going home.

Normally, he'd have walked to the village shop but he'd taken the van today, so as to be quick. He'd chatted to David as he'd pulled the items he wanted off the shelves, had quickly handed over the necessary cash and was just making his way back to the van when Betty Eggleton had appeared out of nowhere. He'd almost fallen over her in his haste to get back to Oak Cottage. She'd asked him about 'the patient', if he was better, and on hearing he was had started telling him about her 'little problem' about the puddle of water that was growing ever bigger under her kitchen sink. Betty had obviously seen his van and come in search of his expertise. It was hard to say no to Betty, nigh on impossible in fact, not that he'd ever been able to say no to a damsel in distress. So when she'd asked him if he would mind taking a look, he'd said 'no, not at all'. Well, how could he refuse or promise to call another day, not when she'd been good enough to send Aaron some chicken broth on hearing he was ill.

So he'd unexpectedly found himself replacing a leaking pipe, Alan Turner advising him on how best to do the job! He liked Alan, who didn't? But he didn't like being told how to do his job, not that he'd made it obvious, he'd done a good job of hiding his annoyance. Job done, he'd got to his feet, all set to leave, only to find a mug of tea being pressed into his hand. He'd been going to drink it standing up, hadn't wanted to sit down, to make himself comfortable, but Betty had told him to 'sit, you're making the place look untidy' and so he'd then found himself ensconced on her sofa, not only drinking tea but tucking into a slice of ginger cake. Like the broth, it was homemade and the best he'd ever tasted.

He would admit to being a little offended when she'd asked how much she owed him. He wasn't going to take money off her, off a neighbour, a friend, an elderly one to boot. She could be a right busybody at times, had a well-earned reputation as a nosey old bat, but Betty also had a heart of gold and had been really supportive of Aaron following Chris Davies' murder, had even sent a prying news reporter off with a flea in his ear. He wasn't about to forget that.

When he finally walked out through Betty's front door, he wasn't empty handed, he had his toolbox in his left hand and a tin of homemade goodies in his right. Aaron didn't have much of an appetite right now but Jackson was sure there was something in the tin to tempt him.

/

Aaron had never had flu before and he certainly didn't want it ever again, not if it meant feeling so bloody awful. He'd spent the best part of two days in bed, his temperature had climbed so high he'd been delirious or so he'd been told, he could remember nothing about that. Jackson said he'd been talking gibberish and seeing things that weren't there... yeah, it was a good thing he didn't remember any of that.

He was feeling better today, a lot better, so much so he was now downstairs, camped out on the sofa, watching DVD after DVD. He still had a hacking cough, was as weak as a kitten but at least he was feeling human again. He was hoping to be back at work on Monday, he'd been off most of last week. It couldn't have happened at a worse time, they were snowed under at the garage, had been working flat out but then he'd been hit for six by this virus and no way could he go in the way he was. Cain was having to cope on his own, was working extra long days; Aaron would make it up to him somehow.

Jackson hadn't been to work either, he'd insisted on staying home to look after him, and it seemed he had needed looking after. He hated being fussed over normally but not these past few days; he'd accepted all the TLC without any complaint. He was ready to reclaim his independence now though; convincing Jackson of that was proving difficult. With some reluctance, Jackson had just left to get some milk and a few other essentials, and had told him to stay put, to not move from the sofa. After yesterday, he could understand his concern, he'd got out of bed and passed clean out. Him fainting like that was embarrassing, and it had scared Jackson, he'd wanted to call the doctor out to him again but he'd been adamant that he didn't need to see her. Jackson had called Paddy for a second opinion on the matter. What was he, a sick puppy? Thankfully, Paddy had been wearing his sensible hat and had been able to reassure him it was nothing to worry about… even if he had turned up twenty minutes later to check on him. He shook his head at the memory; they were a right pair of fusspots!

He'd had every intention of staying where he was, snuggled up under the duvet, a box of tissues, a glass of juice and the TV remote all within easy reach. Jackson had catered for all his needs… except for one. His boyfriend had been religiously following doctors orders and plying him with fluids all morning, and he was now desperate for the loo. He knew he could be there and back before Jackson returned; he would be none the wiser and what he didn't know he wouldn't worry about. Getting to his feet, he felt himself sway a little, he closed his eyes before the room began to spin around him. After taking a few deep breaths, the dizziness passed, and on wobbly legs he slowly made his way upstairs to the bathroom.

He was about to make his way back downstairs when the house phone had started to ring; the extension in the bedroom being the nearest, he made his way in there to answer it. To his annoyance, it had been a cold caller, someone trying to sell him home insurance. He'd resisted the urge to tell him what he could do with his no-obligation quote and simply hung up.

Jackson had earlier opened the bedroom window to air the 'sickroom' and deciding it had aired enough, that it was now icy cold in there, Aaron padded over to shut it. That done, he stared out at what was an autumn day. It wasn't at all bad for October, the sun although weak was peeping out from behind a cloud, it was windy though, quite blustery, and it was that making it so cold.

His gaze moved to the road that skirted the property, a car was parked opposite their gate… a car he immediately recognized, the mere sight of it sending a chill running up and down his spine.

/

Jackson had been gone almost an hour and he was feeling really bad about leaving Aaron so long. Parking the van in the drive just behind their car, he snatched up his bag of shopping and hurried inside, alerting his boyfriend to his presence the moment he stepped through the front door.

"Aaron, I'm back, sorry I took so long, Betty needed a favour… you ok?" After depositing his load on a kitchen worktop, he made his way into the living room.

Aaron was sitting upright on the sofa and Jackson was shocked to see how pale he now was, "Aaron?" Hurrying to Aaron's side, he said, "I knew I shouldn't have left you, have you fainted again?"

"No." He very nearly had but he wasn't going to tell Jackson that.

"You look awful, come on let's get you back to bed." Jackson wrapped his arm around the younger man's waist, ready to help him upstairs, prepared to carry him there if need be."

"No, no I don't want to go back to bed. Jackson, I… "He wanted to tell Jackson what he'd just seen, who he'd just seen, but knew how ridiculous he was going to sound.

"What? What is it, what's wrong." He knew something was, Aaron was shaking and it wasn't down to a fever like it had been the other night, he was cool to the touch.

"He was out there… in his car."

"Who was?"

"Chris."

"Chris?" Jackson knew there was only one man who could have such an effect on Aaron but he was dead, it had to be someone else, but who?

"Chris!" Aaron snapped, how could Jackson not know who he meant, "Chris Davies."

"Aaron, he's dead, it can't have been him." Jackson gently reasoned.

"I'm telling you it was! Jackson, I know what I saw… I saw Chris!"

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

My thanks to Sylvain for the beta work

Mind Game

Part 2.

Jackson didn't know what to think, Aaron was adamant that he'd seen Chris Davies, but there was no way he could have done, the man was dead, dead and buried! He'd gently reminded Aaron of that fact several times but his words hadn't made any difference. Aaron just kept on insisting Chris had been outside in his car.

"You don't believe me." Aaron had suddenly realised the truth, Jackson didn't believe a word he'd said.

Jackson could hear the hurt in Aaron's voice and it tore at his heart, but he couldn't back down on this, "Aaron it can't have been Chris."

"It was him!" He'd seen him with his own eyes, he'd watched the boxster's window open and a face he knew only too well, one he couldn't fail to recognize, had then stared back at him. "I don't understand how but it was him, Jackson, I swear to you it was Chris."

"Maybe it was a trick of the eye or something," Jackson reasoned, "There's got to be an explanation..."

"Yeah, he's not dead!" Aaron knew how stupid that sounded but right now it was what he believed, it was the only way to explain seeing what he did and he had seen Chris, why wouldn't Jackson accept that?

"Aaron, the other night, you were seeing all sorts of..."

"I didn't see Chris..."

"Yes, you did," Jackson insisted softly."

"What?"

"You weren't making any sense, you were just rambling, calling out names, some I knew, some I didn't. I heard you say Chris a few times; you were seeing him, reliving some of the things you've been through with him."

"So, you're saying I'm delirious again, that it's all in my head..."

"No, but... well, you're so pale, and you're shaking..."

"So would you be if you'd just seen Chris alive and breathing! I'm not seeing things Jackson; I'm not hallucinating like I was the other night."

"But you might have fainted again." Aaron had been quite muddled on coming to yesterday, he hadn't known where he was or what had happened. Jackson didn't believe in ghosts, in dead men walking, so knew there had to be some logical explanation for what was distressing Aaron so much right now, he just wish he could figure it out.

"No! I'd know if I had." Aaron could remember every detail of what had happened and in the time since. "Jackson, don't you think I want to be able to explain away what I saw, don't you think I want to be able to say I imagined it? But I can't, what I saw was real and I'm not going to let you persuade me otherwise." Annoyed and disappointed by Jackson's reaction, he got to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Jackson asked following on behind Aaron as he stalked from the room.

"Away from you!"

"Aaron, don't be like this..."

"Like what?" Aaron demanded as he spun around to face the cause of his irritation.

"You're sulking..." Jackson regretted the words he'd used the second they'd left his lips, he knew Aaron wasn't throwing some childish tantrum, that he was just indignant at his response. But he was shaken by it all too, and he really didn't know how best to put Aaron's troubled mind at peace.

"You've just made me out to be lying!"

"No!" Jackson wasn't having that, he'd done no such thing. How on earth could Aaron have come to that conclusion?

"Yes!" Aaron flared, "I told you exactly what I saw and you won't have it, you don't believe me, you won't take me at my word..."

"But, I don't think you're lying. I… I just don't think you saw what who think you did..."

"I'm telling you I did. You weren't there... nowt new there though, not where Chris is concerned!"

Aaron's words were a stinging indictment, and caused a long held sense of guilt to resurface, leaving Jackson frozen in his tracks. No, he hadn't been there the night Chris had tried to rape Aaron, he wasn't there the time Chris had threatened him in the men's at Bar West, or when the two of them had argued over Joel at the club… and he wasn't there when Chris had beaten him unconscious, the night Joel had left him for dead. He hadn't known, even when he was just feet away, he'd been oblivious to what was going on. Now, somehow, Chris had impacted on Aaron's life again, and again he'd been missing from the scene. He could only stand there and watch Aaron make his way upstairs, aware that an invisible wall had suddenly gone up between them.

Jackson traipsed wearily into the kitchen, his heart heavy, his conscience weighing him down even more. After making himself a mug of tea, he slumped down into a chair, wondering what to do next. The problem… the issue… he wasn't even sure how to label it, it wasn't going to go away, it wasn't something they could simply shrug off and forget, they were going to have to talk about it again. He decided to give Aaron a little more time to calm down and then he'd go and try to reason with him some more. He didn't know what he was going to say, but there was no way he could give any credence to the idea Chris was alive, there was only one resurrection he was aware of.

/

Aaron had had to fight back tears as he'd made his way upstairs, his head, his emotions were all over the place, but the true cause of his tears was the fact he'd just hurt Jackson. He hadn't meant to, but then when he'd realised he had, he'd felt a pang of satisfaction, well, Jackson's reaction to what he'd told him had hurt him. The smugness had lasted barely a minute before it had been crushed and replaced with shame. It had been a low blow, a cruel and snide comeback, one made because he was scared and hurting and because for once Jackson hadn't said what he needed to hear. He'd needed Jackson to believe him but he hadn't, all he'd done was try to persuade him that he'd been seeing things that weren't there.

Ok, so he'd been ill, and his temperature had been so high the other night that he'd been off his head. Like Jackson, his mam and Paddy, had both made mention of it. He hadn't realised Chris had featured in his fever fuelled ramblings, but he could well believe it with their history. He was better today though, clear-headed, rational… and he'd seen a black boxster parked outside, he'd seen Chris.

Nothing could have shaken him any more than that had, his heart had thundered up into his throat and his breathing had… well, he hadn't been able to get his breath. His legs had threatened to give way beneath him but he'd managed to stumble over to the bed, and had sat there until the shock had worn off.

When he'd finally worked up the courage to look out of the window again, the car was gone, but it had definitely been there.

It had seemed like hours before Jackson had returned, he'd somehow resisted the urge to phone him, he was driving and he hadn't wanted him speeding back to him. When Jackson had finally walked in through the front door, he'd felt an immense sense of relief, he'd felt safe again.

He didn't now though… Chris was out there somewhere, and he knew that if Jackson didn't believe him, no one would!

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

My thanks to Sylvain for the beta work

Mind Game

Part 3

Jackson was relieved to find Aaron asleep, he was certain it was just what he needed right now. Hopefully when he woke up, he would be more reasonable, more willing to explore some possible causes for what he was so certain he'd seen.

They had an easy chair set in the corner of their bedroom, it was rarely used, was more for aesthetic purposes than anything else, but it was the perfect vantage point for watching Aaron sleep. It was something he liked to do, something he'd done many times before, the first time the night Aaron had run from Chris. It was such a long time ago now, and so much had happened since, good and bad, but he would always remember that night, holding Aaron in his arms, and the silent promise he'd made to himself to keep him safe. He'd made that same promise countless times since but Davies had always managed to turn it into an empty one... even after his death!

He'd thought Joel's confession had been an end to the nightmare, that they really could get on with their lives, but now, just months later, Christopher Davies was in their home again, ok not physically but the memory of him was back... it just wouldn't stay dead. Were they never going to escape him? Was he always going to have some emotional hold over Aaron?

It was a good half hour before Aaron began to stir, the blue eyes flickering open, slowly focusing in on him. Jackson was just about to speak, to say something conciliatory but Aaron beat him to it.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said what I did, I didn't mean it." He'd fallen asleep thinking about the hurtful things he'd said to Jackson and they were the first thoughts in his head on waking.

"I know you didn't." Jackson said as he got to his feet and moved to sit next to Aaron.

"You've always been there for me, always. I know if I'd have been more open, more honest, if I hadn't tried to deal with Chris myself, things would be different now..."

"Don't." Jackson didn't want Aaron to start blaming himself again for what had happened to Davies.

"I'm just saying that I've learnt my lesson, and that's why I told you about seeing Chris. I could have kept it to myself, but I knew I had to tell you. I know how hard it must be but... Jackson, please, I need you to believe me."

The plea was so damn hard to ignore, to dismiss, especially as it was exactly what he expected from Aaron, for him to share everything that scared or hurt him. Here he was doing just that and all he could do was tell him he was imagining things. That just wasn't good enough but he really didn't know what to say or how best to deal with it, after a few seconds of hesitation, he said, "I believe it was a real experience to you, but I just can't believe it was Chris in the flesh that you saw… and I can't let you believe that either."

Another wave of disappointment and helplessness hit Aaron as he realised he was never going to convince Jackson that what he had seen was real. He was fighting a losing battle and worse than that, it was coming between them or would if he let it, but he wasn't going to. Chris had caused them so much hurt, so much worry and upset, their relationship had been left battered and bruised so many times because of him. Well, not ever again, he knew when to give in, to back down. "You're right. It can't have been Chris, there's no way it could have been, like you said he's dead, and Joel's in prison because he killed him. Whatever I saw wasn't Chris, it was a trick of the eye or of the light or maybe just down to my addled head."

Relief flooded through Jackson, it seemed he'd finally gotten through to Aaron, but he knew he couldn't just dismiss it, that it wouldn't end there, that Aaron wouldn't just forget about it. "I know it's haunting you at the moment, that it's all you can think about, I can't get it out of my head either, but we're going to have to try to do just that. Ok, we haven't been able to explain it, I just wish I could... I'm sorry, Aaron, I wish I could put your mind at ease. I wish I could make it all go away, make it so you'd never met Chris, that he'd never hurt you, that he wasn't still hurting you now but, I can't, and I'm sorry I can't, there's nothing I wouldn't do for you..."

"I know," Aaron insisted, catching hold of Jackson's hand; he knew he was responsible for his boyfriend's emotional outburst. Because Jackson had refused to believe the ridiculous, he'd lashed out at him, and the repercussions would have just gone on and on if he hadn't put a stop to it when he did. He was suddenly determined to forget what he saw, however hard it proved to be, "Hold me." He needed to feel Jackson's arms around him, he needed the physical reassurance only he could give.

Jackson pulled Aaron into his arms, holding him tight, realising as he did so that this was what he should have done earlier, that Aaron had needed comforting before anything else. But at least they were back on track now, close, loving and of the same mind.

/

Tuesday, his second day back at work, it had been a busy day, and he was late finishing, he was still trying to catch up on the backlog caused by his sick leave, Jackson too for that matter. He'd probably be home before his boyfriend though, Jackson was working the other side of Hotton, in some remote cottage. When he did eventually get home, he'd be cold, hungry and ready to wind down. Aaron planned on seeing to all his needs, he'd make sure the cottage was warm, that their evening meal was ready and then he would drag him to bed early... they had a lot of catching up to do there too!

It had been a miserably wet day, and Jackson had insisted he drive to work, not walk like he usually did, reminding him that he had just got over flu, that he'd been knocked for six by a particularly nasty strain of the virus... like he'd needed reminding. He couldn't remember everything about those few days but there was one thing he was struggling to forget... seeing Chris.

He'd tried to, he really had, and every now and again he would actually doubt himself, start to think he really had imagined it. But even though the doubts were strong and maybe even gaining strength, he would, every now and again, picture the moment in his head, every detail clear and when that happened, he truly believed Chris was back from the dead... as insane as that sounded.

He'd thought about mentioning it to Paddy… but soon thought better of it, he was even less likely to believe him than Jackson and it would only set him off worrying and, of course, he'd have ended up telling his mam and she in turn would have told her brother. They'd all think he'd lost his marbles even if it was just temporary… no, it was better he kept it quiet… and better still if he could just convince himself it hadn't been Chris he'd seen.

He'd been going to call in on Paddy on his way home, like he did most evenings after work, but seeing his car was missing from the drive, he'd driven on past The Smithy.

On turning the corner, the road had been clear, no traffic in either direction, but just seconds later, he spotted a car in his rear view mirror. It seemed to have come out of nowhere and by the looks of it, the vehicle was travelling at speed. That annoyed him, these roads were narrow and wound every which way, it wasn't the place to speed, even if you were familiar with their layout. There was no pavement either, but that didn't stop people walking along the road, and with nutters like the driver behind him they were risking their life just taking a stroll! Listen to him... that was something Paddy would say! He grinned to himself; he was getting way to sensible these days.

Aaron was certain the next time he looked in his mirror, the other car would be right on his tail... and it was! The car was so close it was hard to tell what make it was, he could see it was black, that the windscreen was tinted, and the driver's face was completely obscured by it. His gaze moved to his wing mirror but found it gave him even less of a view of the car behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to look through the back window. He could see a bit more detail... enough to know what sort of car it was... it was Boxster!

He immediately told himself to keep calm but despite that, his first instinct was to press down on the accelerator, to put as much distance as he could between him and… and whoever it was that was driving. It couldn't be Chris, no it had to be someone else… it had to be.

Another look in his rear mirror told him the car had fallen back a little but, as he stared hard at its reflection, he could see it was again gaining ground. What the hell were they playing at? On impulse, he slammed on the brakes, the car screeching to a halt. The momentum caused him to first rock forward and then slam back against his chair as his seatbelt did what it was designed to do, bruising and winding him in the process. He braced himself, certain there would follow an impact, metal on metal, but instead, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something black pass him by.

He stared after the car, his eyes focusing on the number plate… CD 1 … it was a private number plate, and one he recognized right off. He knew for a fact it had cost Chris a pretty penny to own it! That was just one of the many things Chris had told him about the car when he'd first let him drive it.

It was definitely Chris's car… he hadn't seen the driver but… well what was he supposed to think? And more importantly, what was he supposed to do now?

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

My thanks to Sylvain for the beta work

Mind Game

Part 4

Aaron had been left badly shaken by the experience, and had sat staring at the road ahead long after the Boxster had disappeared around the bend in the road. He was half expecting it to come back, and when a car did come into view, it made him start, made his heart beat faster. On realising it was a different car, he was more than a little relieved, although a part of him wanted it to be the Boxster, he needed to see it again, he needed to be sure.

The other car looked familiar and he soon realised why: it was Paddy's, he was obviously on his way home. On seeing him parked at the side of the road, Paddy stopped, each of them opening his window so they could talk.

"What you doing there?"

He'd been about to say he'd stopped to answer his phone but then it suddenly occurred to him that Paddy would have seen the Boxster, that the two cars would have passed each other, "Did you see it? Did you see the Boxster?"

"What?"

"Paddy, did it pass you, a black car, tinted windows..."

"No..."

"You must have seen it…" Aaron insisted "… it was going your way..."

"I've only just turned onto this road, I've been up at Joe Pegg's place, he's got that small holding and..."

"So, nothing's passed you?"

"No. Aaron, what's happened?"

He hated lying to Paddy but he didn't think he should tell him the truth in this instance, "Some idiot was speeding, I had to pullover..."

"You alright?"

"My pride's a bit dented but other than that I'm fine. Listen, I'd better get home, I'll see you tomorrow, I'll call in after work."

"Yeah ok, see you then."

As Paddy drove away, Aaron pulled away too, cursing his luck. Why couldn't Paddy have seen it? Hopefully, he wouldn't now put two and two together, that he wouldn't connect what he'd just said to him to Chris. He didn't want Paddy asking questions, or mentioning it to Jackson for that matter.

As he rounded the corner, he could see the turning for Joe's place, where Paddy had said he'd turned onto the road. If he'd just been a little earlier, he would have seen the Boxster, it was a car you couldn't miss. At least then he could say to Jackson it was definitely Chris's car he'd seen the other day, that he hadn't imagined that at least.

He was nearly home, he could see Oak Cottage just up ahead, but as desperate as he now was to get there, he had the sudden, inexplicable urge to go to Robblesfield. He was going to have to turn the car around to do that though, so he pulled into their drive then reversed back onto the main road. He still wasn't sure why he was going, what good it would do, he just felt drawn to the place.

As he was driving, he constantly checked his mirrors, more than he would do normally, and every time he did, he expected to see the Boxster coming up behind him, he was so on edge.

He was soon in Robblesfield, he didn't know the place well but he did know where Chris lived... where Chris had lived. He would never forget that place for as long as he lived.

The house was in a quiet part of the village, there were other houses nearby but there was enough distance between them to afford it some privacy. Chris had liked that about the house, Aaron knew why now, no one could hear him rant or rage, or the sounds of violence.

The first thing he noticed on turning into the small estate was Chris's work van; it was parked outside his house. He wasn't sure if that meant anything or not, if it should still be there or not, and it served to unnerve him even more. Seeing Chris's name in such bold lettering had him remember how strong a personality Chris had, how sure he was of himself, how confident… how he'd actually liked that about him at first! How could he have been so stupid, so naïve… no, he wasn't going there, he'd asked those questions too many times as it was.

Wanting a good look at the place, he pulled the car up right behind the van, trying to quash all the bad memories it had suddenly evoked.

It looked more or less the same as he remembered, neat and in good order. The garage door was shut, Chris had always kept it locked whether the Boxster was in it or not, he'd kept all sorts in there, tools, machinery, he'd had a good nose round when he'd stayed here… why was he doing this? Why was he torturing himself with such memories? It was just making his insides churn even more.

It was going dark now, the light fading fast, he looked around him, all the other houses had lights on, but No 1 Hawthorn Drive didn't, it had to be empty. With that thought in his head, he got out of the car and made for the garage, for its one and only window. He peered inside, there was a lot of stuff in there still, what he recognized to be Chris's stuff but there was no Boxster. That was proof that it was out there, wasn't it? But then it could have been sold, someone else could own it now. But if that was the case why had it been parked outside theirs? Why had it appeared out of nowhere and got right on his tail today? It was too much of a coincidence as far as he was concerned, there couldn't be some innocent explanation for that. And as for the driver… if it wasn't Chris then he was the spit of him… a shiver ran up and down Aaron's spine at the memory. There was definitely something going on, he didn't know what, but something told him it wasn't over with yet.

/

It was just after eight and only now was Jackson getting home, he'd maybe have worked even later if it wasn't so damn cold. The journey home in his van had warmed him up but he couldn't wait to get inside, to feel another kind of warmth, the warmth he'd find in Aaron's arms.

It was a good feeling, slipping the key into the front door, stepping into the familiar, into his own domain. He heaved a sigh of relief on shutting the door, on leaving the stresses of the outside world well and truly behind him.

The smell of cooking greeted him or rather the smell of something burning did. He made his way to the kitchen, he could tell by the clattering and banging sounds emanating from that particular room that Aaron was in there… and not in the best of moods.

"Aaron?"

"You're late. Where've you been?" Aaron snapped on setting eyes on his boyfriend.

"I told you I would be." Aaron had been alright with that this morning, had he forgotten?"

"Not this late! It's not worth you coming home, you might as well have stayed there."

"The mood you're in I'm beginning to wish I had!" Jackson retaliated, he was tired, hungry, in desperate need of a shower but, more than anything, he was wanting Aaron, wanting just to see him, kiss him, catch up on his day. What he hadn't wanted or in any way expected was to walk into an argument and that looked to be where this was going, "What's got into you? You had a bad day at work or something?"

Aaron wished that was all it was, that he could put what he knew was unreasonable behaviour down to something daft like that, but he couldn't and he certainly couldn't tell Jackson the real reason for it. That the day's events had again spooked him and that his unease was now manifesting itself in other ways, like in a lack of concentration, that's how he'd burned their tea, and that disaster had resulted in this latest fit of bad temper. He knew he had to get his act together and fast, "Sorry, I'm just annoyed at myself..." He pointed over at the bin, at the charred remnants of what had started off as a fish pie.

Jackson's irritation instantly waned, and deciding some teasing wouldn't go amiss right now, he said, "It's alright. You haven't burnt anything in ages, you were due for a... " He paused on suddenly remembering the last time Aaron had overcooked something, it was when Chris Davies had reentered their lives, when Aaron had tried to keep his concerns to himself, when it had been playing on his mind... this wasn't about the other day, was it? Was he still dwelling on 'seeing' Davies? "Aaron, is that all it is?"

He should have known Jackson would get wind of there being something wrong, he didn't miss anything. He was just going to have to convince him otherwise, "All? A lot of effort, not to mention money, went into making that pie! And I can't be arsed making anything else now... we're gonna have to have something quick like beans on toast!" He'd tried to sound indignant and it seemed he'd pulled it off because Jackson was now grinning at him, reaching for him, pulling him into his arms.

"Oh, I think we can do better than beans on toast..." Jackson paused, claiming Aaron's lips, kissing him tenderly before going on to say, "I'll take a quick shower then we'll go to the Wooly, have something to eat there... maybe come back here for dessert..."

"Dessert?" Aaron knew for a fact all they had in that line was a tin of rice pudding and Jackson didn't like it.

"Yeah, I was thinking chocolate ... you know how much I like chocolate..."

"Yeah, I know how much you like chocolate!" Aaron grinned as he realised just what sort of chocolate Jackson had in mind.

Aaron watched Jackson walk from the room, his head full of lustful thoughts as he did so. It was a good few minutes before they began to fade, before they gave way to an unwanted memory.

His mind was again troubled, not just because of what he'd seen but because he'd not told Jackson about it. He was deceiving him again… but what choice did he have? Jackson hadn't believed him the other day so why would he believe him now? No, he'd have to have some sort of tangible proof before he did.

/

The pub was fairly quiet, and they sat in what had now become 'their' table. They'd both gone with Marlon's special, it had been good too, and while Jackson got what was going to be their last drink for the evening, he'd nipped to the loo.

He'd only been gone a couple of minutes, but in those few minutes, Paddy had turned up and as he stepped back into the heart of the pub, he could see he and Jackson were talking by the bar. He couldn't see Jackson's face but he could see Paddy's and he looked serious, concerned even… he knew then what the conversation was about. A second later, Paddy caught sight of him and the conversation came to an abrupt halt, Jackson turning his head to look in his direction, too.

Jackson looked… well he couldn't read Jackson's expression but when he suddenly stalked towards him, Aaron knew the shit was about to hit the fan.

TBC


End file.
